As the first month of the Islamic calendar — Muharram — is set to begin for the lunar year 1448 AH, the crescent was spotted by the UAE’s Astronomy Centre during daytime on Monday, June 15.
The crescent, which marks the start of the month, was captured in Abu Dhabi by the Khatm Astronomical Observatory at 11am. This means Muharram will officially begin on Tuesday, June 16, as per the Gregorian calendar.
In the photo captured by the observatory team, the moon was 5.4 degrees away from the sun and its age was 5 hours and 35 minutes.
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Residents in the UAE got to enjoy a long weekend once again as the government announced a public holiday on Monday, June 15, for the start of the new Islamic year. For some residents who usually observe weekends on Saturday and Sunday, this meant a 3-day holiday.
Meanwhile in Sharjah, government employees and students enjoyed a four-day holiday with normal weekends falling on Friday, Saturday and Sunday for them.
The Islamic, or Hijri calendar is based on lunar months, and the New Year begins on the first day of Muharram, which is determined by the sighting of the moon. Each month in the Hijri calendar lasts either 29 or 30 days.
All public parking in Dubai has been made free of charge on Monday, June 15, except for multi-storey parking facilities as part of the Hijri New Year public holiday. Standard parking tariffs will resume on Tuesday, June 16.
Source: Khaleej Times